The present invention relates to a sealing sleeve for sealing joints in household appliances, especially, the joints between the outer drum and the front wall of the housing or the upper part of the suds container and the top frame in washing machines, which sealing sleeve can be secured by a substantially annular clamping element.
In washing machines or laundry dryers, it is important to ensure a suitable seal between the outer drum and the front wall of the housing in front-loading machines and between the upper part of the suds container and the top frame in top-loading appliances. Customarily, sealing sleeves are used for such a purpose and can be secured by conventional clamping elements or clamp/screw elements placed around the sleeve. German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 2 403 705 discloses a sealing sleeve that forms a sealing joint between the suds container of a washing machine, in which the laundry drum is mounted, and the housing wall or the loading door. In this configuration, the sealing sleeve is secured on the suds container pressed against the outer surface of the wall of the suds container by an annular retaining or securing spring.
A disadvantage of this conventional sealing sleeve is that a high degree of effort must be expended to secure the sealing sleeve and due to the fact that the clamping elements have to be attached from the outside and are visible means that no freedom of design is possible with respect to the connection geometry.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a sealing sleeve for sealing joints in a household appliance that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that avoids the above disadvantages, so that, in addition to an improved visual appearance, the assembly effort is reduced and the shape of the sections of sealing sleeve to be secured is capable of extremely wide variations in design.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, in a household appliance having an outer drum, a housing with a front wall, joints between the outer drum and the front wall, a suds container with an upper part, a top frame, and joints between the upper part and the top frame, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a sealing sleeve for sealing at least one of the joints including a section to be secured in the appliance, the section having an interior and a substantially annular clamping element being molded into the interior, securing the section in the appliance, and sealing at least one of the joints.
According to the invention, the clamping element is molded into the interior of the section of the sleeve to be secured. As a result, the on-site assembly effort is substantially reduced and the shape of the sealing sleeve is capable of extremely wide variations in design. Advantageously, moreover, the clamping element is not visible from the outside.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the section has an outer surface and an annular channel with at least one groove and the channel is connected by the at least one groove to the outer surface of the sealing sleeve and receives the clamping element. Advantageously, the sealing sleeve includes, in its interior, an annular channel, which is connected by at least one groove to the outer surface of the sealing sleeve. Such a configuration ensures that the clamping element is retained firmly and securely in the sealing sleeve but, nevertheless, external access to the clamping element is possible at all times.
Particularly advantageously, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, the clamping element can be pre-mounted in the sealing sleeve before the sealing sleeve is mounted in the household appliance. As a result, the assembly effort when the sealing sleeve is inserted can be still further reduced.
To simplify the production operation, in accordance with an added feature of the invention, it is additionally advantageous to form the sealing sleeve by injection molding.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the clamping element is elastic.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the clamping element is automatically capable of elastic further tensioning.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the clamping element is a helical spring.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the clamping element is a helical spring.
The effort of pre-mounting the clamping element in the sealing sleeve is advantageously eliminated if the sleeve already contains the clamping element during injection molding.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the clamping element is jointly injected around the sleeve when the sleeve is injection-molded.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the clamping element is jointly injected molded with the section.
In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, a front housing wall of the appliance limits a door aperture and has an edge with a curved, substantially annular collar and the section is a beading and, with the clamping element, is adapted to engage with the annular collar.
If a beading of the sealing sleeve is so configured that it comes into engagement with a curved, substantially annular edge region of the end of the front housing wall limiting the door aperture, then a sealing sleeve excellently matched to the washing machine components used hitherto is, advantageously, provided.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a sealing section for a household appliance, including a body having an interior and a substantially annular clamping element being molded into the interior, the clamping element adapted to secure the section in the appliance and to seal at least one of a joint between an outer drum and a front wall of a housing of the appliance and a joint between an upper part of a suds container and a top frame of the appliance.
With the objects of the invention in view, in a washing machine having an outer drum, a housing with a front wall, joints between the outer drum and the front wall, a suds container with an upper part, a top frame, and joints between the upper part and the top frame, there is also provided a sealing sleeve for sealing at least one of the joints including a section to be secured in the washing machine, the section having an interior and a substantially annular clamping element being molded into the interior, securing the section in the appliance, and sealing at least one of the joints.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a washing machine, including an outer drum, a housing with a front wall, joints between the outer drum and the front wall, a suds container with an upper part, a top frame, joints between the upper part and the top frame, and a sealing sleeve for sealing at least one of the joints, the sealing sleeve having a section having an interior and a substantially annular clamping element being molded into the interior, securing the section in the appliance, and sealing at least one of the joints.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a sealing sleeve for sealing joints in a household appliance, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.